Underwater and surface floating payload systems have been used to position payloads at different positions in the water column relative to the surface and to the sea floor. Underwater and surface floating payload systems typically include payloads that are anchored to the sea floor with an anchor or mooring line or both, and connected to floatation, which can be on the surface or in the water column. The floatation may or may not house the payload. Before deployment, the mooring line, anchor, chain, or buoy, or all of these components, can be laid on the deck of a vessel, placed in a storage bin, or otherwise contained, which consumes deck space and can cause tangles to form in the mooring line. On deck, the anchor, mooring line, payload, and floatation are connected together but are distinctly different components. The depth at which the payload will be in the water is determined by the amount of mooring line between the anchor and the payload or the length of the mooring line between the floatation and the payload, which is established while on the deck of the vessel or before being loaded on the vessel. After connecting the mooring line to the floatation, anchor, and payload, the anchor is then deployed to the sea floor, followed by the payload and other components shortly thereafter. Another deployment methodology includes deploying the payload and other components before deploying the anchor. The payload may be positioned at or below the surface of the water.
The payload may be recovered by pulling the system aboard a vessel by hand, with a winch, or other systems to pull the mooring line, but which are not part of the underwater and surface floating payload system. When the payload container is retrieved, the mooring line is again placed on the deck of the vessel or in a storage bin or otherwise contained. To redeploy the payload container, the mooring line must be reworked again to ensure tangle-free, successful redeployment. Thus, a need exists for a more efficient manner of deploying and retrieving the payload container.